ELLENSBURG, Washington \u2013 Like the misty vapor trails from aircraft that many youngsters yearn to fly, childhood daydreams often dissipate. But sometimes, maybe decades later, those daydreams lead to life-changing epiphanies. That and answering the question, \u201cWhere can I park my plane?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ellensburg native Aaron Greear, now 30, was one of those kids. His pilot dreams drifted away on the cold jet stream of time. But four years ago \u2013 after a life without any real connection to aviation \u2013 the mechanical engineering major managed to earn his pilot\u2019s license, while smack in the middle of running a successful paving business with his older brother and dad. Shortly afterwards, Greear bought a classic 1959 Cessna 182 and went looking for hangar space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But, finding nothing available at Greear\u2019s hometown Bowers Field Airport (KELN), Greear went full-throttle on a childhood dream. He built a brand new FBO \u2013 complete with heated hangar space, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contemporary and modular with views of Mount Stuart\u2019s muscular peak along the horizon, Mount Stuart Aviation (formerly Aviation Services LLC) \u2013 a Phillips 66\u00ae<\/sup> branded FBO \u2013 is poised to reinvigorate 81-year-old Bowers Field, bolstering the community\u2019s fading ties to general aviation and giving Greear a place to park his plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI like to build things,\u201d Greear says, an understatement when it comes to constructing an FBO on a government-owned airfield. It was just three years ago Greear and his brother Joel approached Kittitas County with their plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, pilots stopping at Mount Stuart Aviation now indulge in a stocked fridge that resembles a mini convenience store; a self-serve kiosk dispensing meals, snacks and pilot supplies; a pilot\u2019s lounge with large-screen movies and a library filled with Greear\u2019s personal book collection; a snooze room and courtesy car; plus, some competitively priced fuel. Outside, Greear added power, water, and sewer connections, creating opportunities to host events, including those featuring food trucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Developing a new FBO from scratch can be daunting, especially when the dreamers are new to aviation. But in 2016, the Greear family had expanded beyond their Central Paving company work by constructing industrial buildings. Aaron, the mechanical engineering major and recreational pilot, plus Joel, the construction management pro, made a fortuitous pairing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The idea, says Greear, is to always build with vision and intent. Perhaps that\u2019s something innate in a mechanical engineer\u2019s soul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe had the background of construction and building buildings combined with my background in aviation, and we\u2019ve been in this community our whole lives, so the stars kind of aligned,\u201d explains Aaron. \u201cIt was the perfect time to do what we did in Ellensburg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe really wanted to make sure our FBO accommodated anybody traveling through,\u201d explains Greear. \u201cI probably have 800 hours of cross-country flight time, and I take notes at every FBO that I stop at. I take notes of what an FBO had that was awesome or missing features, and I tried to incorporate everything I learned, having traveled the country visiting different FBOs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome things really make no practical sense, but I remember, for example, the FBOs that had a fireplace, which is really cool,\u201d he says, \u201cSo, I\u2019m building one at our FBO.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Greear\u2019s passion for aviation extends beyond building a welcoming space for pilots\u2014it drives his own flying ambitions. Early in his journey, he discovered STOL (short takeoff and landing) competitions\u2014aviation\u2019s version of rodeo barrel racing\u2014where pilots test their proficiency in short-distance takeoffs and landings. His exposure to exposure to STOL events sharpened his skills, strengthened his connection to the aviation community, and reinforced his vision for Mount Stuart Aviation as a welcoming place for pilots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSTOL has been immensely helpful in building skills and confidence. That was kind of the initial rush,\u201d says Greear. \u201cThen after I got into the community, I found aviation in general is just full of incredible people\u2014good people who must have a certain level of skills and responsibility to remain a pilot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other \u201cbig vision,\u201d as Greear calls it, involves nurturing community ties to general aviation, something he never experienced as a child. He witnessed the results firsthand when his family-run construction company hosted community events that allowed children to sit in some heavy, road-building equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBeing able to build a facility that allows the community, especially kids, to come out on a weekend, see the operations and check out an airplane, might spark that desire to grow up and pursue aviation,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just having an FBO facility the community can experience is new to Ellensburg. \u201cWe literally didn\u2019t have a building out here, and it\u2019s hard to do anything when you don\u2019t have a building,\u201d Greear says. \u201cWell, it opens a lot of doors just having a building. I tried to build it very modular so that we can host all kinds of different things in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Uniquely, half of Mount Stuart Aviation\u2019s facility features 16 offices for rent. \u201cThe offices are a way we could bring in some revenue to help cover the construction costs and also connect different businesses in the community to the airfield and the airfield to the community,\u201d Greear says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Greear, aviation is more than just a business\u2014it\u2019s a lifelong passion. As he continues shaping the future of Mount Stuart Aviation, he\u2019s also focused on his own piloting journey. Having earned his FAA rotor rating last year, he\u2019s now on the lookout for the perfect helicopter to take his skills to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know, the flying is what got me into aviation, but it\u2019s the people who keep me around,\u201d says Greear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information about Mount Stuart Aviation, visit Kittitas County Airport – Bowers Field<\/a> or AirNav<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" ELLENSBURG, Washington \u2013 Like the misty vapor trails from aircraft that many youngsters yearn to fly, childhood daydreams often dissipate. But sometimes, maybe decades later, those daydreams lead to life-changing epiphanies. That and answering the question, \u201cWhere can I park my plane?\u201d Ellensburg native Aaron Greear, now 30, was one of those kids. His pilot […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","widen_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/phillips66.widen.net\/content\/xl6d1cipxn\/jpeg\/MtStuart.jpeg?position=c&color=ffffffff&quality=100&u=4ny3tt","widen_thumbnail_width":"undefined","widen_thumbnail_height":"undefined","psx_hero_image_url":"https:\/\/phillips66.widen.net\/content\/c5i9mapt99\/jpeg\/tv5337_2209.jpeg?position=c&color=ffffffff&quality=100&u=4ny3tt","psx_hero_image_width":"undefined","psx_hero_image_height":"undefined","psx_hero_image_mobile_url":"","psx_hero_image_mobile_width":"","psx_hero_image_mobile_height":"","psx_byline":""},"categories":[53],"class_list":["post-67957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aviation"],"yoast_head":"\nBuilding a New FBO with Intent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Strengthening Community Ties at the Airport<\/h3>\n\n\n\n